Foundation to open skills training centre to empower youths in Osun

In a bid to tackle poverty and unemployment among Nigerian youths, the Ruth Aina Ataiyero Foundation (RAAF) is set to commission a vocational and skills acquisition centre in Ilesa, Osun State.

The centre, founded in memory of the wife of Samson Ataiyero, an Ijesha prince, aims to provide vocational education and employment skills to young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Scheduled to be held on Saturday, 5 October, in Ilesa, the commissioning coincides with the installation of Mr Ataiyero as the “Baba Ijo” of St John Anglican Church, Iloro area of Ilesa.

A statement by the Foundation and signed by Mr Ataiyero noted that the centre is in fulfilment of his late wife’s wish “to institute an endowment to support youths of Ilesa, Ilobu, and Ifon and lift them out of poverty, hunger and other social vices.”

The statement reads in part: “We were in Morocco to celebrate my 70th birthday, and my wife told me that as soon as we returned to Nigeria, she would meet the Anglican Bishop of Ilesa to map out the strategies to achieve her desire.

“Unfortunately, she passed on and could not make the return trip back to Nigeria. This was a great blow to all of us both within and outside the immediate family”.

Prince Ataiyero

About centre

According to the statement, the vocational and skills acquisition centre is the foundation’s first project aimed at achieving Mrs Ataiyero’s dream of assisting young people, by providing vocational education and skills development.

The vocational education and training programme will offer courses in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Unisex Hairstyling and Makeup Artistry, Fashion Designing, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, and Catering Sciences/Event Planning.

The statement noted that beneficiaries from Ilesa, Ilobu, and Ifon will receive free enrollment, necessary tools, and seed capital upon completion of their training, while other beneficiaries will pay a token fee to support the centre’s administration.

The statement also revealed that the foundation’s scope shall be expanded to include, “but not limited to providing food, shelter, healthcare, scholarship, disaster relief, and advocating for vulnerable populations, among other interventions.”

About deceased

According to the foundation, the deceased, Mrs Ataiyero, was a beloved and dutiful wife, and an amazing mother and grandmother.

“Princess Ataiyero was an amazon, genuinely committed and passionate about investing her time, energy and resources in the art of building and supporting all who are lucky to have come in contact with her. She was always ready and willing to support any cause that would advance humanity.

“She virtually worked all her life, towards contributing her quota in ensuring a world that is worth living for people around her. Her focus typically revolved around helping those in need, alleviating the suffering of the unserved, promoting social justice, and positively changing the communities in which she lived.

“All of these attributes made the idea of establishing the foundation and building a befitting vocational and skills acquisition centre, a worthwhile venture,” the statement added.